As the Grand Junction Sentinel reports today, the day of reckoning draws closer for Colorado Governor Bill Ritter to decide on the bad policy that is SB 180 -- a costly favor to Big Labor. The Sentinel today also editorializes strongly against SB 180 -- using many of the same arguments I've brought forward before, and even one I haven't really emphasized:Strikes would be prohibited under the legislation, but there are no sanctions listed in the bill for those who violate the provision. Now it would seem that Bill Ritter has an opportunity to start mending fences with folks on the Western Slope, where his popularity is low and heckling is a common greeting for him, by vetoing SB 180. He could listen to Grand Junction mayor Bruce Hill, … [Read more...]
Breaking: Jeffco Teachers Union Calls for Impasse over Pay Dispute
Developing story... Last night the board of the Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA)( (Colorado's largest local teachers union and an affiliate of the Colorado Education Association) voted to declare an impasse in negotiations over renewing the collective bargaining contract with Jeffco Public Schools for the 2009-10 school year. This morning JCEA notified the school district of its decision. According to the school district, the core of the dispute revolves around a proposed compensation agreement to address relative funding shortages during the current economic downturn. Under this plan, teachers would continue to receive their automatic steps and levels for acquiring seniority and credit hours. The plan rejected by JCEA … [Read more...]
Barack Obama Would Play Jimmy Hoffa by Getting Union Bad Guys Off
Yesterday the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards reported its 900th conviction of union leaders for criminal activity. From the press release:During the month, OLMS obtained three convictions, seven indictments and court orders of restitution totaling more than $80,000. The office’s totals for fiscal year 2008 (which ended on Sept. 30, 2008) are 102 convictions and 130 indictments, with restitution of more than $3.2 million. The bulk of the cases involved the embezzlement of union funds. “The triple-digit numbers of indictments and convictions obtained by OLMS in the 2008 fiscal year demonstrates that criminal activity in unions is still a major problem. This problem points to the critical role … [Read more...]
Backroom Deal Sheds Light on Colorado Labor Union Leader Priorities
Much ado has been made out of the 11th-hour deal that pulled four labor union-sponsored initiatives from the Colorado ballot. As opined by the editors of the Rocky Mountain News:On Thursday, labor peace was restored in Colorado. At least until the 2009 legislature convenes. The announcement that two labor-backed groups would remove Amendments 53, 55, 56 and 57 from the November ballot - and in return business groups would fund a joint business-labor campaign to defeat Amendments 47, 49 and 54 - is a positive development. The state's economic health was in the crosshairs of the labor measures, a couple of which probably had a good shot at passage. There's no doubt that the "economic health" and well-being of Colorado families and … [Read more...]
CoDA’s “Educate the Idiots” Members Biggest Funders of Protect Colorado’s Future’s Campaign of Deception
If you haven't seen or heard it by now, Colorado's "progressive" Democrat coalition got a little more behind-the-scenes exposure yesterday than they would like. A series of slowly leaked documents by Face The State are uncovering the inner workings of the coalition - known as the Colorado Democracy Alliance (CoDA). The light of the day has given us some useful insights. We are starting to see what the Left's agenda for Colorado is, why they have coordinated the spending of so much money to take over the state legislature, the governor's office, and so much more. No document has received quite as much attention as this one:In a confidential internal memorandum obtained by Face The State (PDF), the Colorado Democracy Alliance outlines a … [Read more...]
With Apologies to Fido, Lassie, and All of Loyal, Trustworthy, Canine-Kind
Okay, this one made me laugh. When I read the liberal wag's op-ed, I nearly fell out of my chair. Now, there's no need to glorify his work with a link or even a free Google mention - especially since, given the site, the link figures to evaporate very soon. Nevertheless, the following paragraph was written under the sub-heading "Bigoted remark":Another senior staff member of the Independence Institute, education policy analyst Ben DeGrow, offered the "analysis" on a Feb. 20 Internet broadcast of RIGHTTALK.COM, that because of [Governor Bill] Ritter’s executive order enabling state employee groups to form partnerships, a variety of unions had "been attracted to the state like opening up a can of dog food and getting your dog to come … [Read more...]
“He’s Proud to Be a Loser”: Dave Ohmart’s Modest Profile in Courage
The Denver Post has a great feature story today about Colorado state employee Dave Ohmart, who has been challenging the union organizing power with a mixture of tenacity, fair-mindedness, and self-deprecating wit:The self-described "nonunion rep" worries that the nascent state workers union will eventually draw dues from even employees who voted against it, a specter other states have faced. It's a scenario Colorado union organizers flatly reject. Nevertheless, Ohmart in June began offering counter-points to union pitches through a group dubbed "Colorado LOSES," a jab at the three-union coalition Colorado WINS that won the right to represent all 31,000 eligible state workers last month. "I don't want someone forcing me to join … [Read more...]
Amendment 47 Moves Past Frivolous Legal Attacks to Make Public Case
A common and repeated tactic of the Left this year has been to throw frivolous legal challenges at ballot initiatives they don't like in an effort to keep Coloradans from deciding the issues themselves. Well, last Thursday the Denver Business Journal reported that a judge has tossed out legal complaints against one certain initiative:A Denver District Court judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit from opponents of Amendment 47, the so-called “right-to-work†ballot initiative that would bar labor unions from collecting mandatory dues in workplaces that engage in collective bargaining. Incidentally, the same publication endorsed Amendment 47 only days before (subscription required). Meanwhile, Fred Barnes at the Weekly Standard has an … [Read more...]
Closing the Loop on Labor Union Disclosure of Member Dues Money
Union members in Colorado and across the nation stand to gain from newly proposed federal rules that would provide a clearer picture of how union leaders are spending their hard-earned dues money. If you're a glutton for punishment, there's the official 103-page document with the new rules. For the rest of us, compliments of the Public Service Research Foundation, there is a layman's version of the new pro-worker rules:They require that unions specify the costs of benefits being provided to officers and employees. Under the present system the cost of benefits is only reported as one big lump sum. The new regulations will allow union members to see how much they are paying in benefits for each officer and employee. This will … [Read more...]